Xander
limped, slightly, towards the library in a manor of a man who had
been put through the physical wringer as of late, and BOY was that
the truth – sure, he and Aura had… well, Xander thought as he
felt a blush creep up his neck, no need thinking about that, but
sufficed to say that under no uncertain terms had Aura explained her
position… err, intentions towards their relationship. Repeatedly.

The
memories were enough to make Xander smile through the fading pain he
felt, but the memories weren't enough for what he saw next as he
entered the Library – Jenny, Willow, Buffy and Aura were all off to
one side, whispering and giggling. As one, they all stopped and
looked at him before they smiled and turned back to each other and
resuming their giggling and whispering.

Xander
stopped in the doorway as a series of chills did marathons up and
down his spine and turned to walk out, but Giles was instantly there,
"Xander!"

Xander
looked at him, "Flee, we must… now!"

Giles
nodded and they fled the Library, but he wasn't finished, "I
know, we are, but we still need to talk."

Once
Xander's pulse slowed and his mind came back to him, he looked at
the elder Briton, "Huh?"

Once they
were in the cafeteria, and with a sharp glare each at Snyder to send
him running, Giles was able to talk, "Xander, I realize that this
might not be the most ideal time to ask this, but… have you had any
time to think about the differences you've exhibited?"

Xander
nodded, "A little, actually. Aside from the whole quick-healing
thing, I seem to be a little stronger and faster and have more
stamina… nothing TOO freakish, but definitely not for my body size.
You know about the instant recall thing, right?"

Giles
nodded, "Indeed. The way that you remembered all of those texts
was… amazing, simply amazing, Xander."

Xander
smiled a little, "Thanks, Giles. I think I read and retain what I
read a little easier now, but I can't do the instant translation
anymore. Can't have everything, I guess." He leaned back in his
seat and frowned, "Nothing else really from the T-1000, at least
nothing that's come up so far, and I'm not exactly sure I want to
press exactly what I can do unless I have to."

Giles
looked up from the small notepad that he had produced at some point
and had started taking notes on, "I see, I see. What about
memories that you might have from your time as the… the Terminator?
Technically, that is?"

Xander
shook his head, "A few things, vague ideas at most." This, of
course, was a lie – he had a good portion of technical know-how,
ranging from data storage to computer processing, power storage,
production and distribution, but he also had more than a few weapons
schematics as far as things that could end life as people knew it.
Xander made a point to never reveal that information, but in the mean
time he was going to do his best to forget it…

Giles
nodded at this and looked a little down, "I see." He put away
the notebook and sat back a little, polishing his glasses, "Xander,
I know this will be a personal question, but I must ask it – what
are your intentions with Aura and Jenny?"

Xander
arched an eyebrow, "With Aura? We're going to try and be happy,
Giles. We talked… after… well, we talked it over and we both
know that 'happily ever after' is probably not in the cards here
on the Hellmouth, so we're going to have fun while we can."

Giles
nodded, "Very admirable and honest, Xander. Now, about Jenny…"

Xander
rolled his eyes, "What, you think she, Aura and I are going to be
having threesomes? No, Giles – Jenny is our friend, our fellow
'freak', if you will, and we're going to treat her like that.
Why? Starting to see the error of your bigoted ways?"

Giles
winced at the edged tone in Xander's voice, a tone that told him
the next answer he gave would be rather important, "Honestly,
Xander, I'm not sure."

Xander's
response was a growl and nothing more.

Giles
hurriedly went on, "Let me rephrase – I realize that my dealings
in the past with any gypsies should not color any relationship I
might have or had with Jenny. I admit what I did was wrong, and I
hope to make up for it."

Xander
stopped growling, "Good to hear – tell her, not me."

Giles
nodded and stood and started to walk away, but noticed that Xander
wasn't following him, "You're not coming with me?"

Xander
shook his head, "Are you crazy? There's four girls in there,
they were giggling, whispering and pointing at ME! I'm not getting
NEAR there – you're on your own."

Giles
merely sniffed, "Traitor."

Xander
snorted, "Oh, like you wouldn't do the same if the tables were
turned."

Giles
opened his mouth for a second before he closed it, "Xander, there
are times that I wish that male solidarity were not a myth."

Xander
chuckled, "If that were the case, then we as a human race would all
be dead, Giles." Giles gave him an odd look and Xander went on
with a grin, "If male solidarity existed, we wouldn't leave our
fellow males behind with the females so we could get away – no
breeding chances and all…"

Giles
nodded at that, "Point made. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to
see a woman about a gypsy."

(Later)

Aura
smiled at Xander, a smile that told him he was not in trouble, and
that his clothes were not in danger of being torn off, as she walked
towards his place at the end of the Library table, "Hey, Xander."

"Oh,
you are, but not in the way I'm thinking." He held her close for
a bit as they watched the office where Jenny and Giles were arguing,
"So, do you think they'll make up?"

Aura
snorted, "At this rate, they're probably going to make out."

Xander
frowned and shivered, "Ewww… Giles making out with somebody?
Gah!"

Aura
elbowed him in the chest, "Now, now, come on. I know you like
Jenny, so do I, but she needs to be with someone her own relative
age. Besides," she went on with a grin, "I want you all to myself
for as long as I can."

He looked
up at her oddly, "Oh, you plan on sharing me at some point in the
future?"

She gave
her a coy little grin, "Maybe, maybe not. That's for me to know
and you to worry about, little man."

"Hey
now," he protested, leaning closer to her ear as both Buffy and
Willow walked in, "the other night you said I was all you could
handle and that there was nothing 'little' about me…"

Aura's
giggles reached the ears of both Willow and Buffy and they both
groaned – she and Xander were insufferable…

(Elsewhere)

He smiled
at the pair of hunters even as He puffed on his cigar and his
pastrami on rye was delivered – like the kid said, nobody ever
promised them happily ever after, but he was going to enjoy it while
he could, and so was that Aura girl…

He
blinked as His attention was drawn to the Easter seaboard of the
United States as a new Champion was called, one that brought a grin
to His face, "Well, well, well…" Oh, yeah, this one was going
to be interesting, "I guess it wouldn't hurt for that group to
have a little Faith…"

THE END…
?

AN:
Alright, people, that's it. Yay! does happy dance for several
seconds before stopping Sorry about that. Anyway, reviews, please
– this story could end here, or it could go on, depending on what
we see…

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.